Barbara Lehtiniemi is a writer and photographer from Ontario. She’s a graduate of Athabasca University, having completed her Bachelor of General Studies degree in 2018.
A regular contributor to The Voice Magazine for over ten years, Barbara has also contributed to other publications including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Maclean’s. Barbara writes in several genres, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. She’s eternally grateful to The Voice Magazine for providing the opportunity to explore an array of topics and writing styles.
Barbara has a fondness for travel, used bookstores, everyday absurdities, and oversized wine glasses. Originally from urban Southwestern Ontario, she now lives on a windswept rural road in Eastern Ontario.
“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” – Douglas Adams Never mind spooky Hallowe’en! What’s scary is that the deadline to apply for this autumn’s AUSU award and bursary cycle is coming at you like a masked madman. I know, I know—you’re already trying to get that last… Read more »
On October 24, 1975, the women of Iceland did not go to work. For one day, Iceland’s women did not show up for their jobs as shop clerks, receptionists, flight attendants, bank tellers, teachers, or fish-plant workers. They did not show up to do housework, farm chores, child-minding, or family shopping. They did not pack… Read more »
Voice writer Barbara Godin recently published her second book. Glimpses in Time: A Collection of Memoirs and More, is a compilation of stories about Godin’s childhood, family, and relationships. In the style of North of Normal by Cea Sunrise Person, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Glimpses in Time traces Godin’s life as she… Read more »
He is in danger when at prayer He is in danger everywhere He is in danger in his car He is in danger from the law He is in danger in the skies He is in danger when he flies He is in danger at the store He is in danger in a war He… Read more »
“A Chicken Soup for the Soul story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people having extraordinary experiences.” – chickensoup.com The first thing I did when I received my copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul‘s “Making Me Time” anthology was to turn to the Table of Contents to find my name. Out of the… Read more »
Travel comes with risks at the best of times. Travelling during a pandemic adds an unsettling new dimension. It was with some trepidation that we booked flights to Canada’s west coast. We researched the airlines to learn what measures they were taking to keep passengers safe. In addition to disinfecting protocols, mandatory mask wearing, and… Read more »
As I sat down to prepare Christmas cards this year, I had some misgivings. I thought it important to send cards out this year—perhaps more than ever—but the cards themselves gave me pause. Jolly pre-printed words like “merry” and “happy” and wishes for “celebrations” and “holiday traditions” seemed rather out-of-step with this year’s reality. The… Read more »
Who couldn’t use an extra $1000 for their studies? Sixteen AU students can look forward to a $1000 scholarship boost from AUSU this fall. AUSU has two award cycles each year. The fall awards cycle opened for applications October 1, with a deadline of November 1. Last week’s article summarized the AUSU Bursaries and the… Read more »
AU is known for providing high-quality post-secondary education without barriers. Anyone over the age of 16 can go to AU. But education is not cheap. AU’s student union, AUSU, offers several bursaries to assist AU students with financial challenges. Some of these bursaries are available year-round, while a couple others can only be applied for… Read more »
There’s a saying, attributed to author and inspirational speaker Regina Brett, that states, “If we threw all our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s we’d grab ours back.” Whether it’s schadenfreude, self-improvement, or simply gratitude that our own problems are not worse, reading advice columns seems to be a pastime with universal appeal…. Read more »